49ers winners and losers from second preseason game

The San Francisco 49ers made their Levi’s Stadium debut Saturday in their Week 2 exhibition game against the Denver Broncos and lost, 33-14.

Coach Kyle Shanahan was looking for an improvement on the prior week’s mostly forgettable win over the Chiefs, but that wasn’t the case. The 49ers racked up 11 penalties and five turnovers, four of which were committed by the first-string offense.

Here are our winners and losers from Saturday’s defeat:

Winner – Eric Reid, S

(Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports)

Eric Reid didn’t look like he was playing a new position for the first time in his professional career. The former free safety transitioned to strong safety under first-time coordinator Robert Saleh. Reid has looked like a natural in his new position and is already making his presence felt.

Reid was routinely around the ball Saturday. He racked up five tackles and a quarterback hurry, all in just three possessions. Reid is building off a strong showing in training camp and seems primed for a standout season in his contract year.

Loser – Rashard Robinson, CB

(Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

The 49ers’ presumed top cornerback continues to struggle after earning a spot as a loser last week. Rashard Robinson against the Chiefs was the primary target on their opening touchdown drive. This week, Robinson gave the Broncos an easy first down on the goal line after he committed an obvious pass interference penalty in the end zone. He also missed an easy tackle and allowed a first down, just like last week.

The 49ers need Robinson to be reliable. The new scheme puts an emphasis on the corners to lock down the perimeter. Robinson’s performances in two preseason games hasn’t matched his strong rookie campaign from 2016, but his ceiling remains sky high.

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